The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of Ethiopia released the preliminary report on the crash Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, Boeing 737-8(MAX), ET-AVJ. The flight took off from Addis Ababa Bole Int. Airporten route for Nairobi, but the Angle of Attack sensor recorded value became erroneous. The crash resulted in 157 fatalities. The report is available here
Preliminary findings on ET 302 crash:
1. Aircraft’s airworthiness was certified;
2. The crew were capable of flying& followed Boeing’s procedures;
3. Take off appeared normal;
4. Crew followed all procedures, but was unable to control the aircraft.
The release of the actual preliminary report by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Transport is expected during Apr 4th or Apr 5th 2019.
Boeing statement
We at Boeing are sorry for the lives lost in the recent 737 MAX accidents. These tragedies continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and minds, and we extend our sympathies to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. All of us feel the immense gravity of these events across our company and recognize the devastation of the families and friends of the loved ones who perished.
The full details of what happened in the two accidents will be issued by the government authorities in the final reports, but, with the release of the preliminary report of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident investigation, it’s apparent that in both flights the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS, activated in response to erroneous angle of attack information.
The history of our industry shows most accidents are caused by a chain of events. This again is the case here, and we know we can break one of those chain links in these two accidents. As pilots have told us, erroneous activation of the MCAS function can add to what is already a high workload environment. It’s our responsibility to eliminate this risk. We own it and we know how to do it.
From the days immediately following the Lion Air accident, we’ve had teams of our top engineers and technical experts working tirelessly in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and our customers to finalize and implement a software update that will ensure accidents like that of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 never happen again.
We’re taking a comprehensive, disciplined approach, and taking the time, to get the software update right. We’re nearing completion and anticipate its certification and implementation on the 737 MAX fleet worldwide in the weeks ahead. We regret the impact the grounding has had on our airline customers and their passengers.
This update, along with the associated training and additional educational materials that pilots want in the wake of these accidents, will eliminate the possibility of unintended MCAS activation and prevent an MCAS-related accident from ever happening again.
What is significant here is that no report was filed on the United Boeing 787-800 (Washington Dulles,DC-Paris Charles de Gaulle) that received a main battery overheat indication while landing in Paris on
Nov 12th 2017. The battery was venting fluid via from the forward vent relief system. The NTSB reported to Aviation Herald that the occurrence was rated a non-reportable incident. No investigation was opened. 14 other SDR reports were filed).
Everything that is essential to a plane’s operation should be included in pilot training. The pilot must know his tools backward and forward. What happens when that training is curtailed?
On March 19th, the US Department of Transportation announced that its inspector general will audit the 737 Max 8’s certification process. Some pilots say they know how to address problems with the 737 Max 8’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) system. Pilots say the MCAS software system can (apparently) be disabled by hitting the trim switch on the control column. Difference training is required for pilots who fly the Max, but apparently (MCAS) explanations, operations, procedures related to the differences were left out of the manual. The flight manual of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes mentions MCAS computer system only once. If MCAS information was cut from the manual to prevent the MCAS from having to be included in 737 Max transition training, whoever cut it considered only that it would save 737 Max operators training costs, but not what it would cost in terms of human lives.
On the flight prior the LionAir accident flight on the Boeing Max registered as PK-LQP, an off-duty fully-qualified Boeing 737-MAX 8 pilot was traveling home on flight JT-43. The plane encountered problems similar to the next flight that crashed it (i.e. the LionAir accident flight from Denpasar to Jakarta.) The crew aboard the earlier flight managed to land the aircraft at the destination. Based on the crew’s entry in the AFML, the engineer at Jakarta flushed the left Pitot Air Data Module (ADM) and static ADM to rectify the reported IAS and ALT disagree and cleaned the electrical connector plug of the elevator feel computer. The aircraft was subsequently released to carry out flight JT610.(A different crew manned the fatal flight.) The pilot was interviewed by the Kantor Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi–Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia (KNKT). The KNKT committee is responsible for investigating and reporting air transportation system accidents, serious incidents and safety deficiencies involving air transportation system operations in Indonesia.
The KNKT estimates that the release of the final report for Lion B38M in August or September 2019.
The KNKT is cooperating with Ethiopian Authorities but will make no official comment. News media reports suggest that on the earlier LionAir flight, a third pilot had occupied the observer’s seat in the cockpit of flight JT-43 and that this pilot identified the automatic trim runaway issue at hand and initiated that the trim cut out switches be used.
The preliminary report on the LionAir crash is located HERE.
A Laser Aereo Colombia Douglas DC-3 en route from San Jose del Guaviare to Villavicencio declared emergency on approach to Villavicencio. The plane crashed on a rural dirt road near Villavicencio and burst into flames. All of the fourteen aboard perished. The mayor of Taraira, Meta, was traveling on the crashed plane. Pilot Jaime Carrillo, co-pilot Jaime Herrera and aviation technician Álex Moreno also died in the crash.
In 1945, this plane served in the US Navy and AirForce.
The telephone line 311 564 3040 has been set up for information and assistance to the families of the victims. Both Laser and the insurer will be assisting the families of the victims of this incident,” the communication states.
Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Flight ET-302 had just taken off from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia en route to Nairobi Kenya when radar contact was lost, and the plane crashed. 149 passengers and 8 crew were lost. The impact occurred near Bishoftu, Ethiopia 17 m SSE of Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines announced that no survivors were found. People from 33 different countries were aboard.
On Mar 10th 2019 Ethiopian Airlines reported that the crew reported difficulties and requested a return to Addis Ababa.
BBC Africa reported aboard were 32 Kenyan, 18 Canadian, 9 Ethiopian,8 Chinese, 8 Italian, 8 American,7 French, 7 British, 6 Egyptian, 5 Dutch, 4 UN passports, 4 Indian, 3 Russian, 2 Moroccan, 2 Israeli, 1 Belgian, 1 Ugandan, 1 Yemeni, 1 Sudanese, 1 Togolese, 1 Mozambican, 1 Norwegian
Ethiopian Airlines said:
Boeing said:
American Airlines flight AA-2250 had to make an emergency landing in Hartford, Connecticut, on February 26th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane took off for Chicago, Illinois, but had to turn back after the crew noticed an unusual smell on board.
The plane landed back uneventfully. All ninety-three passengers and six crew members remained unharmed.
Alaska Airlines flight AS-1506 had to return and make an emergency landing in Seattle, Washington, on February 26th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane took off for Santa Ana, California, but had to turn back after the crew noticed an unusual odor on board.
The plane landed safely. The cabin crew were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
JetBlue flight B6-1204 had to return and make an emergency landing in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on February 25th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane took off for Newark, New Jersey, but had to turn back due to a hydraulic failure.
The plane landed back safely. All one hundred and fifty-eight people aboard remained unharmed.
Austrian Airlines flight OS-509 made an emergency landing at Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy, on February 25th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane flying from Vienna, Austria, was descending toward Milan Malpensa Airport when the crew reported an unusual smell in the cabin.
The plane continued for a safe landing. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
EasyJet flight U2-426 made an emergency landing in Birmingham, England, on February 25th.
The Airbus A320-200 plane heading from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Bristol, England, was diverted after the crew noticed a burning electrical odor on board.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained safe.
British Airways flight BA-706 made an emergency landing at London Stansted Airport, England, on February 25th.
The Airbus A320-200N plane heading from Heathrow Airport, England, to Vienna, Austria, was diverted after the crew received a cargo smoke indication.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH-724 made an emergency landing in Jambi, Indonesia, on February 25th.
The Boeing 737-800 plane heading from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was diverted due to a low fuel indication.
The plane landed safely. All one hundred and twenty passengers and seven crew members remained unharmed.
Delta Airlines flight DL-2056 encountered turbulence near LaGuardia Airport, New York, on February 24th.
The Airbus A319-100 plane flying from New Orleans, Louisiana, was on final approach to LaGuardia Airport, when it hit turbulence, prompting the crew to go around.
The plane subsequently landed safely.
Four passengers were injured in the incident.
Lufthansa flight LH-474 made an emergency landing in Munich, Germany, on February 24th.
The Airbus A330-300 plane took off for Montreal, Canada, but had to turn back due to issues with the IRS systems.
The plane landed back safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-147 made an emergency landing in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on February 23rd.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was flying from Dhaka, Bangladesh, when a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit at gunpoint.
The plane landed uneventfully.
All Passengers and crew members disembarked while the security forces tried to negotiate with the purported hijacker. He was later shot by the security forces when he refused to surrender and was taken to a hospital where he died.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
An Atlas Air plane crashed into Trinity Bay near Houston, Texas, on February 23rd.
The Boeing 767-300 freighter plane, operating as an Amazon Air flight, was heading from Miami, Florida, to Houston, Texas, when it went down.
There were three crew members aboard at the time. One dead body was recovered near the crash site while the other crew members remain missing.
Southwest Airlines made an emergency landing in Orlando, Florida, on February 21st.
The Boeing 737-800 plane heading from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Denver, Colorado, was diverted due to a suspected nose tire damage.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Lufthansa flight LH-501 had to return and make an emergency landing at Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 20th.
The Boeing 747-400 plane took off for Frankfurt, Germany, but had to turn back due to an engine problem.
The plane landed safely. All three hundred and sixty-one people aboard remained unharmed.
Atlas Air flight 5Y-8591 made an emergency landing in Leipzig, Germany, on February 20th.
The Boeing 747-400 plane heading from Nuremberg, Germany, to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was diverted due to a technical issue.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
Delta Airlines flight DL-589 had to return and make an emergency landing in Seattle, Washington, on February 19th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane took off for Shanghai, China, but had to turn back due to a lavatory maintenance problem.
The plane landed back safely. All one hundred and ninety-passengers aboard remained unharmed.
A helicopter crashed into a mountainside near Roldal, Norway, on February 17th.
The incident happened when the Robinson 44 helicopter was heading from a ski centre at Roldal to Karmoy.
There were two people aboard at the time, including a man and a woman; both were killed in the crash.
LATAM Brasil flight LA-3466 had to return and make an emergency landing at Sao Paulo International Airport, Brazil, on February 17th.
The Airbus A321-200 plane took off for Porto Alegre, Brazil, but had to turn back due to an engine issue.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.
United Airlines flight UA-946 made an emergency landing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on February 16th.
The Boeing 767-300 plane flying from Dulles International Airport, Virginia, was on approach to Amsterdam when the crew reported a flaps problem.
The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.